Pakistan cricket - Another unwanted incident

I returned home after doing a hectic 24-hour duty on Monday. I was heavily tired and exhausted. After taking a shower and breakfast I was planning for having a nap to reduce my stress level.  

Before going to sleep, I was wandering on Facebook for a while and noticed Zulqarnain Haider’s status update: “(Zulqarnain Haider Cricketer) leaving pakistan cricket because get bad msg fr 1 man fr lose the match in last game on Sunday”.

Frankly speaking, I didn’t give that much importance thinking that it might be another fake account. But one and half hours before the match started, the cricinfo news said that Zulqarnain is missing from the hotel and can’t play the fifth One-day international (ODI). What bloody start to the classic contest!

I was trying to know the reasons. The cricinfo’s updates said that Zulqarnain received a text message in his mobile which threatened to kill him for not fixing the fourth ODI against South Africa. For which he managed his passport from the manager and then flew for United Kingdom. He was last seen at the Dubai airport before the start of the fifth ODI.

Pakistan lost the fifth ODI. After watching the ODI I went to sleep and kept thinking what kind of controversy Zulqarnain Haider will gift Pakistan this time around?

Today, after returning from the hospital I read the updates from the cricinfo and after reading those I started to think about the pathetic state of Pakistan cricket: Where is Pakistan cricket heading? Who are actually running Pakistan cricket? Are the players safe? Do they fix matches due to such death threats?

Many would say Zulqarnain did something stupid by not telling anything to the PCB or the team members and the officials. But why not say he didn’t find it safer enough to tell anyone about the matter? Perhaps, the crooks are still there in the team who are roaming free. They only play in the team to let the Pakistan team down and remains untouchable due to strong connections with the mafia.

The environment of Pakistan cricket is polluted. The youngsters don’t have enough honest people around to show them the right way and in turn they are taking the wrong path which is leading them to the don’t-know-zone. Trustworthy persons have become rarity in Pakistan cricket which is very sad.

Zulqarnain’s sudden escape has given rise to various questions the answers of which we might never get. But my curious mind says that, Pakistan cricket is being controlled by a third party whose main aim to tarnish Pakistan cricket and dent its image. Sadly, again, Pakistan cricket is hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar